Kindred Tea Time: Time Saving Tricks
If we could sit down with you over a cup of tea (or coffee) each week, these are the tools and treasures we’d be excited to share with you. We’ll ask a question, share our answers, then invite you to join and share your own tools and treasures on a teatime break.
What is your favorite time-saving trick?
@DavidsTea Steeper
"I’m not really a gadget person. I save time by simplifying—paring down the possessions, processes, and activities that actually matter to me—so I can truly focus on and enjoy them. This steeper simplifies my morning tea ritual just enough without sacrificing the parts of the process I love most."
@Fossil Hybrid Smartwatch
"I’ve learned from Laura Vanderkam (via Modern Mrs. Darcy) that sleep and exercise don’t take time. They make time. This watch helps me prioritize both. When I’m active and well-rested I have more focus, higher energy, and a better mood—which means I get a lot more done with the time I do have. Also, the subtle notifications help me stay on top of what matters to me while filtering out unwanted distractions."
Instant Pot
"I received an instant pot as a Christmas gift last year and have loved how it changes my dinner making experience from a stressful one - with a toddler clinging to my leg crying for attention - to one where I can play with my daughter while dinner quickly cooks itself."
Greenpan Skillets
"Speaking of saving time in the kitchen, Greenpan skillets are my absolute favorite cooking utensil. Instead of spending time at the sink scrubbing out stubborn pasta sauce or my daughter’s morning scrambled eggs, with one quick wipe of the sponge, the pan is perfectly clean again due to its frankly magical non-stick qualities."
@NeatoRobotics D7 Vacuum
"With a dog and 3 very messy boys, our house gets wrecked real fast. But I feel like I have a little R2-D2 to help me tackle the damage. His name is Wall-E and he does a great job. I pick up the toys, Wall-E sucks up the Cheerios. I tell him to get started from the iPhone app and he reports back an hour later when he is done with a little map of what he cleaned. Saves me at least 15 hours a month Vacuuming. It might be pricey (I got a scratch and dent model that works perfectly for ½ price), but how much is your time really worth?"
Capsule Wardrobe
"It makes me super happy to keep a small wardrobe of my favorite things (that fit just the way I want them to), and nothing extra.
- I keep a pair of jeans, a pair of black slacks and a few dresses.
- I have one type of each type of shoe I need, then I wear it until it wears out and replace it every 1.5-2 years.
- I pretty much keep to a handful of brands that I know I love the fit, fabric, long-term wear, price, and washability of.
- I don’t keep anything in my closet or chest of drawers that doesn’t fit."
@Google Calendar
"I often joke that the tagline for this digital tool should be “Google Calendar - saving one marriage at a time”. Sharing our individual calendars and referencing them for commitments have simplified much of the back-and-forth communication typically involved!"
@TripIt Planner & Flight Tracker
@Revlon One-Step Hairdryer + Brush
"This bad-boy has been a game-changer for me. I have thick, coarse, and porous hair so styling can be a time consuming process. I used to blow dry, then straighten or curl. This hairdryer in the form of a round styling brush saves precious time and minimizes frizz to boot. It’s my one-stop shop for hairstyling!"
@HEB curbside pick-up
"Grocery pick-up has become all the more important due to this season of pandemic-tide, but even before COVID-19 struck we used this time-saving trick. We’re people who LOVE a good grocery trip, but some weeks can be especially busy and don’t allow for either of us to head to the store. Cue HEB’s curbside pickup: allowing us to eat fresh and nutritious food even when we’re on the go!"
